


A Disasterous Resonance Ignores A Novice

by LordTraco



Category: Half-Life
Genre: Family Issues, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sign Language, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29149938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordTraco/pseuds/LordTraco
Summary: The resonance cascade led Gordon Freeman to his role as a savior. It led Barney to saving a small handful of lives. But before Black Mesa was reduced to ash and death, it led to one Corporal Adrian Shephard learning more than he'd ever expected.AU where Adrian is G-man's son. (Will add more tags later)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	A Disasterous Resonance Ignores A Novice

As a boy he was always praised for being creative. He would make stories about the bugs outside, doodling comics of them in the margins of school notebooks. He would regale his family with fantastic adventures his stuffed animals would get up to. 

He was creative, but not particularly gifted in any medium to display it. Paint always spilled, drawings always smudged, and stories never came out as fantastic as he wanted. There was so much love and passion in his heart, but it didn't translate to good grades or any particular talent. Especially not when his happy family shattered.

He'd tried talking her out of it. He really had. But his voice was useless and he lost everything. He buried his voice along with his grief and loss and moved forward the only way he could.

The military offered him a new start. He got yelled at for not speaking up, but eventually he proved himself a decent asset to them. They liked to poke fun with the occasional "quiet down, soldier!" but when they all made the effort to understand sign language, he felt truly accepted.

He was promoted to HECU not long after. The training was hard and unlike anything he was expecting, with tight spaces and dark corridors. It all seemed to impress some stiff government civvie with a briefcase. He dubbed him G-man in his journal entries.

Corporal Adrian Shephard never counted himself as a lucky man until his first mission. Surviving a crash like he had, let alone being found by a well-meaning scientist with some medical skills? It had to be luck. 

Beyond that, just about everyone he met seemed willing to help him. From the sweet security guard to all the scientists that helped even after realizing what HECU was there to do. Hell, even some of the aliens he picked up along the way and used like guns seemed to enjoy his company.

Of course finding more of his old buddies was fun, but they didn't have his luck. He was grateful for the times he could sneak away through a vent or on the rail tram and free himself from the guilt of letting them die.

The luck only seemed to grow as time went on. Bullets missed, falls hurt less, and he needed breaks less and less. The adrenaline only explained so much, and when bullets actually reached their mark?

There was no more denying the obvious. The alien attacks were gruesome and deadly, but they didn't hurt. The bullets came and went but no wounds ever stuck. He scoffed at health kits that mere hours ago were as welcome a sight as an oasis in a desert. He shrugged his way past aliens twice his size and shot at them simply because they were irritating or endangering allies.

By the time he fought the giant alien with a portal in its gut, it all felt like a dream he'd wake up from any moment.

"Corporal Shephard… we meet at last." The man before him looked upwards as if to avoid eye contact. "Please don't think that I've been avoiding you-"

Adrian removed his gloves and face mask so his glare could be seen while he signed, "Who are you?"

"Ah, you're interrupting. Please. Indulge me a moment and," he paused again when Adrian snapped his fingers.

"No. Who are you and why am I here?"

"I am your father. And I am here to… ensure you do not. Mess. With the outcomes necessary for my... employers."

"Father." Adrian signed the word, blinking in disbelief. He cleared his throat, letting out two quick coughs as he prepared to use his voice. 

"It is no problem if you wish to continue signing."

"Fuck you." He said aloud, his voice scratchy and foreign to his own ears, "Fuck you, where were you when mom died!?" It felt good to use his voice on his terms, not because some teacher or drill sergeant decided to force it out of him. This was the only thing he'd wanted to say aloud for years. 

"A great many matters required my attention. Especially in these… troubled times." The man before him adjusted his tie, an awkward tic if he'd ever seen one.

Adrian just glared, his hatred on full display. He itched to reach for his bag, drag out any of his guns, and do what he'd done to every enemy he'd met so far. That alien that liked pets and shot green orbs would probably be the most rewarding.

"Please understand, my fascination is with those who adapt and survive against all odds. While your mother was intriguing," the G-man frowned a little, "this report took priority."

Before Adrian could respond, a bright flash engulfed his vision and a far away blast reminded him of the bomb he'd watched this man re-arm.soon they were flying through that alien planet, then a dark void.

"And so, the loose ends are tied. All except for one."

Adrian's hands flew to many different obscene gestures in rapid succession. If the military taught him one thing above all else, it was the ability to swear. Sometimes a single finger just wasn't enough.

The man before him waited patiently, unfazed by the signs. He would have assumed he didn't know the signs if it weren't for the occasional eyebrow raise at the more graphic words.

Seeing it was getting him nowhere, Adrian took a deep breath and signed the questions nagging at him. "Why am I here?"

"My report cannot be closed until witnesses are. Handled. And given your… newfound resilience, I've argued it wise to bring you somewhere where you can do no harm. And where no harm may come to you."

"How long do you plan to keep me here?"

The man smiled. "As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Either you will display the creativity of a trapped human. Or the powers befitting my progeny. Please, try not to disappoint."

With that, Adrian's supposed father turned and left through a green portal. The portal faded and the lights all went out.

And in the dark, Adrian finally found the creative outlet he'd always been searching for. The void was blank, endless, and empty. It was the perfect canvas and this he knew exactly how to paint it.

**Author's Note:**

> I have many ideas on where to go with this. I might try all of them out but if any interest you, let me know!
> 
> -HLVRAI AU where he becomes "Tommy"  
> -HL2 AU where he learns from/takes up the mantle of Father Grigori  
> -HDtF AU where he cuts a deal to protect his brother  
> \- general continuation where he ends up taking G-man's place  
> \- general continuation where he bonds with his dad


End file.
